Tactical Rifleman Team

Karl Erickson

Former USSF

Sergeant Major (Retired) Karl Erickson has over 25 years Military Experience; 18 years of experience within Army Special Forces, conducting all aspects of Special Operations, to include training, execution, and technical oversight at the detachment, company, and combined joint task force level. SGM Erickson has earned numerous awards, to include three Bronze Stars and a Army Commendation Medal for Valor. His military schooling includes Ranger school, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster, Special Forces Medic, SFARTEATC, Special Forces Sniper, to name but a few. After retiring, SGM Erickson now serves as the Director of Special Projects, at Ex Umbris International LLC, where he continues to train our military’s finest units, Law Enforcement ,and emergency first responders, to prepare them for tomorrow’s threats. Additionally, Karl provides specialized training to private sector personnel and companies , in many subjects; including Situational Awareness, Travel Safety, Post-Incident Medical Response, Modern Survival, and Advanced Firearms courses.

Jason

Navy SEAL

Navy SEAL Weapons and Tactics expert, Close Air Support Instructor and Counter Intelligence operative, Jason was honorably retired from the Teams in 2017 after 22 years of service. Jason was proud to complete multiple combat deployments to Iraq in Afghanistan as well as a strike platoon deployment to the Western Pacific Area of Operations (WESTPAC).

Jason is currently a high-risk driving, weapons and tactics Instructor at Tier One Group in Marion, Arkansas, as well as a Basic Field Firearms Instructor for various International Security Forces utilized by the U.S. Department of State. Drawing from multiple combat deployments, counter-intelligence operations, and years of training experience, Jason is proud to give back to the Tactical Rifleman Nation in an effort to increase the knowledge base of our nation’s military heroes and exceptional civilians!

Pete

Former USSF

Master Sergeant (Retired) Pete Jones has more than 25 years Military Experience; 20 years of experience within Army Special Forces, conducting all aspects of Special Operations, to include training, execution and technical oversight at the detachment, company and combined joint task force level. MSG Jones has earned numerous awards, to include Bronze Stars and Purple Heart for actions in combat. His military schooling includes Ranger School, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster, Special Forces Weapons Sereant, SFARTEATC and Special Forces Sniper, to name but a few. His last job with Special Forces was being the Primary Flat Range Pistol and Rifle instructor at his unit. After retiring, MSG Jones now is the Owner of Alan’s Arsenal LLC selling Firearms to the Public and Stars of Hollywood.

Keith

Former USSF

Master Sergeant (Retired) Keith Gipple has more than 25 years Military Experience; 20 years of experience within Army Special Forces, conducting all aspects of Special Operations, to include training, execution and technical oversight at the detachment, company and combined joint task force level. MSG Gipple has earned numerous awards, to include three Bronze Stars, the Defense Meritorious Service and Joint Service Commendation medals. His military schooling includes Ranger School, Jumpmaster, Military Free Fall, Special Forces Engineer and Special Forces Operations and Intelligence, SFARTEATC, and Special Forces Sniper course, to name but a few. After retiring, MSG Gipple continues to serve in the defense industry, where he consults and provides training to our military’s finest, preparing them for tomorrow’s threats.

Donnie

Former USSF

Sergeant First Class (Retired) Donnie Bowen has about 22 years military experience; 13 years of experience within Army Special Forces as a Green Beret, conducting all aspects of Special Operations, to include training, execution, and technical oversight at the detachment and company level, as well as the training and execution at the combined joint task force level. SFC Bowen has earned numerous awards, to include a Army Commendation Medal for Valor. His military schooling includes the Special Forces Weapon Sergeant Course, Military Free Fall Course, SFARTAETC, Mountain Warfare Course (Summer and Winter), USSOCOM Joint Armorer's Course, S.E.R.E. -C (High Risk), Modern Army Combatives Program (MA.C.P.) Master Trainer Course, Special Operations Combatives Program (S.O.C.P.) Instructor Course, to name but a few. SFC Bowen is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, a Judo Black Belt, and a Black Belt in two Karate disciplines, as well as has a couple years of experience in the Filipino and in the Indonesian martial arts training in the art of the blade and the use of blunt objects for offense and defense. SFC Bowen is also a graduate of the Operational Security Strategies "Lone Operator" Unconventional Warfare Strategies Course. After retiring, SFC Bowen is the founder, owner, and head instructor of BOWEN Combative Arts Academy in Clarksville, TN, where he teaches and coaches children to adults in the arts of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Wrestling, Self-Defense/Bully Proof Techniques, etc.. He also works with local law enforcement, SWAT, and first responders on basic combatives techniques.

Rob

Sid

Coach

Coach was born a sixth generation Texan in Deep South Texas to a family steeped in military tradition and love of country. At an early age he developed an affinity for precision shooting and improvised explosives. After a highly decorated career in Cub Scouts and Webelos, he had a short but dramatic membership in the Boy Scouts were he first experienced his life long disdain for persons in positions of authority who possessed no personal Honor. Graduation from Texas A&M was followed by a years long intensive search of the Western Hemisphere for a superior brand of mescal. As age and life often does, Coach realized he was better at teaching than doing (But still “Doing” pretty well!) and the rewards and enlightened fulfillment that comes with the instruction of others now fill his days. With a lifetime of experience as a student, instructor, competitor and hanger-on of various companies, institutions, agencies, schools, disciplines and lost causes, Coach draws from many great minds and marksmanship masters such as Bill Rogers, Col Jeff Cooper and Col Hannibal Smith and the proven techniques of great facilities such as Mid-South, Tier 1 Group and many others. As a certified Texas LE instructor, the Marksmanship Instructor for the 142 year old Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University, Coach of their Marksmanship Unit, per diem instructor at various facilities, and a damn good furniture salesman…Coach now teaches a blend of techniques drawing from both the practical and the competition world to military, civilian and LE clients. Recent achievements include being invited to found the Marksmanship Unit for the Corps of Cadets in 2012. The cadets of that Unit, the CCMU, have simply dominated…winning eight collegiant national titles in Steel Challenge and 3Gun from 2013 to 2018, all versus Service Academy Competition, and breaking records in the sports each year. This success…and the success of any shooter in any environment where stress and performance are inseparably intertwined…is the result of the relentless pursuit of the mastery of fundamentals. Under extreme stress you do not Rise to the occasion, you Fall to the level of your training. In marksmanship there is no such thing as advanced skill, there is only the advanced application of fundamental skill.

Zee

Master Sergeant (Retired) Zevon Lee Durham aka “Zee” served as an Infantryman for his first 6 years in the US Army with the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Rakkasans out of Ft. Campbell, KY. While there, he held the position of machine gunner, fire team leader, squad leader, and recon team leader. During this time frame, Zee deployed to Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

After being selected and attending the Special Forces Qualification Course at Ft. Bragg, NC., Zee was assigned to 5th Special Forces Group Airborne, again at Ft. Campbell where he finished his career. Within 5th SFG(A), Zee was assigned to the Group's lone Direct Action and Hostage Rescue specialty company with the designation of A/1/5 that is reserved for Green Beret elite. There, Zee held the position of SF Engineer Sgt, Senior Engineer Sgt, Cell Leader, Team Sgt, and Battalion S-3 Operations Sgt.

While in Special Forces, Zee deployed 6 times to various locations in the Middle East with all of them being combat deployments except 2. During these deployments, Zee worked with hundreds of soldiers in the elite forces of these various countries. Zee taught them, trained them, and fought beside them in order to accomplish the mission successfully.

Zee has a myriad of experience and special skills training qualifications to include:

Zee is currently a firearms and defensive tactics instructor that focuses on coaching others to have the ability and composure to face, subdue, or eliminate a violent threat.

Raj

Raj was born at an early age in a log cabin he helped his Father build. He grew to enormous proportions forcing the family to move from the cabin and leaving him to fend for himself. He quickly learned how to grow tofu and potatoes from human excrement to fuel his lust for carbs. After bouncing around in his mid-20’s doing odd jobs, physics and being a hired-gun playing drums for whoever could tolerate his accelerated tempos, he finally found a source for all his pent-up anger...the United States Marine Corps. (May Peace Never Be Upon Her.). His love of Country then took him through 8, glorious, heart-breaking, tumultuous, gut-wrenching years guided by the best leadership a person can ask for. Between 1999 and 2007 he was privileged to serve Our Corps through Recon BN, Force Recon and the inception of MarSOC. Deployments from the Balkans to Yemen to Iraq firmed his belief that people, at their hearts, both suck and rock. He has since found a cathartic release working for T1G and Tactical Rifleman, not preaching, but presenting all the things for which he was untrained and screwed up so others do not have to learn those hard-learned lessons. Working with current heroes and the entire might of the Empire of T1G and TR, he enjoys having life-saving lessons being presented from a myriad of perspectives and experiences to better prepare today’s War-Fighters. Also an Eagle Scout.